Chapter 202 - Honesty is the best policy.

If you wanna read ahead go to https://www.patreón.com/cornbringer

Right now I'm on chapter 219 in Patreôn

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[Third Person. POV.] 

The Urahara Shop was quiet when Adam stepped in. There was an eerie stillness that didn't sit right with him. He navigated through the rows of mysterious artifacts and oddities until he reached the back room, where Urahara sat, seemingly deep in thought.

"Urahara," Adam greeted, his tone light but his eyes searching.

Urahara looked up, a mask of cheerfulness in place. "Ah, Adam! What brings you here? Yoruichi told me you fought the old man, scary."

Adam paused for a moment, studying Urahara. The man's jovial demeanor was a mask, one even he could see through. "Let's cut the bullcrap, I want to go home."

Urahara's smile wavered ever so slightly. "Ah, home. A place close to one's heart, isn't it?"

Adam took a seat opposite Urahara, leaning forward. "You know, despite everything I've grown fond of this place, of its quirks and characters. But at the end of the day, it's not my home. I have responsibilities and people waiting for me."

Urahara nodded slowly, his fingers playing absently with the rim of his hat. "I have a way to send you back, I managed to complete said way a few days ago."

Adam frowned. "And I suppose you didn't tell me, because you want something? What is it that you want, Kisuke? Spit it out."

Urahara sighed, removing his hat and setting it aside. The gesture was unusual for him, signaling the gravity of the situation. "It's Aizen," he admitted. "He's a ticking time bomb, Adam. Left unchecked, he will bring untold chaos, not just to the Soul Society, but to the worlds beyond. He needs to be stopped."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "So I was right, you want me to kill Aizen."

Urahara hesitated. "It's not as simple as that, but yes. That being said, you have to understand, Aizen has the Hogyoku, with its power, he should be nearly invincible soon enough. But I believe that if anyone stands a chance against him, it's you."

Adam leaned back. "So I kill him, and you send me home?"

Urahara shook his head. "No, that was my plan originally, but… not anymore. I will let you go right now, if that's what you want, but I ask you, help us."

Adam tilted his head, narrowing his eyes at the shopkeeper, there was anger in his tone, but also, curiosity. "That's a change of heart. Why the sudden honesty, Urahara?"

Kisuke sighed. "The stakes are too high, and the threats are growing by the day. I realized that holding your ticket home as ransom wasn't the right approach. I'm a bastard, but not that big of a bastard. I genuinely need your help, not just for the sake of Soul Society, but for the balance of all worlds. It won't be long before he realizes there are other universes, and from there things will get bad."

Adam mulled over Urahara's words. The weight of the situation was evident in his tone and demeanor. "I'll admit, I didn't expect this from you, Kisuke. You're full of surprises."

Urahara gave a wry smile. "Life has a way of teaching us, making us reevaluate our choices."

In other words, Yoruichi.

Adam leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "Alright, say I agree to help. What's the plan? Do you have any insights into what Aizen's next move might be?"

Kisuke nodded slowly, pulling out a sealed envelope from beneath the table. "I have gathered some information, though it's not complete. There's a pattern to Aizen's actions, and we need to get ahead of him."

Adam took the envelope, weighing it in his hand before sliding a finger under the flap and breaking the seal. He skimmed through the contents quickly, his face darkening with every line he read. "This is... disturbing."

Urahara nodded gravely. "It is. Aizen's ambition knows no bounds. With the power of the Hogyoku, he seeks to transcend the limits of Shinigami and Hollow alike. If he succeeds..."

Adam cut him off, "He becomes a God."

Kisuke's eyes held a serious glint. "Precisely."

Adam sighed, placing the papers back in the envelope. "Alright, Urahara. I'll help. But not for you, or even for the Soul Society. If what you're saying is true, then my world is in danger as well. We're in this together."

Urahara nodded, offering his hand. "Together."

Adam paused, a distant look in his eyes, as if staring at memories from a lifetime ago. He turned back to Urahara, his voice taking a more somber tone, "Now that we're on the topic of assistance, once everything's settled here, I'd need your expertise on another matter, and like you, I won't put my help on a ransom for it, you are free to decline."

Urahara raised an eyebrow, his curiosity evident. "Oh? What might that be?"

Adam hesitated for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Back in my world, there's someone very dear to me, her name's Mavis. She's cursed, and the nature of this curse is... it's unlike anything I've encountered. It has brought endless pain and suffering to her, and I've been looking for a way to break it, she doesn't know, but I have."

Urahara tilted his head. "A curse? That's rather vague. Do you mind sharing more?"

Adam's gaze became distant. "I don't know much, all I know is that she's afflicted with an ancient curse, called the contradictory curse. The main side effect of this curse is near-absolute immortality, those suffering from this curse… well, their mental state becomes warped to the point where even their own thoughts, feelings and actions become contradictory as well, if they love life, they reap death, if they don't care about life, they can control their curse."

Urahara's eyes narrowed in thought. "This sounds like no ordinary curse. From what you tell me, I can deduce It's woven with deep emotional and spiritual ties. I can't promise anything without knowing more specifics, but I'll do my best to help. Do you happen to know the origin of this curse?"

Adam looked conflicted. "The God of Death of my world."

"By your tone, I assume there aren't other Gods of Death in your world, right?" Urahara asked. 

"You guess right," Adam replied.

Urahara nodded. "Very well then, once we handle the immediate threats, I promise we'll tackle this curse of yours. I mean, I wanted to visit your universe anyways."

Adam nodded, standing up. "Thank you, Kisuke. You're a bastard, I kind of hate you, but I won't forget this."

Urahara tipped his hat with a smirk, "Hate me? Mah, so cruel. Now, let's get to work."